Tag: Grace

Everything

GIRL

HIS Divine POWER has given us EVERYTHING we NEED for life and Godliness through our knowledge of HIM….2 Peter 1:3

EVERYTHING means EVERYTHING…

When our hearts feel overwhelmed  
When we’ve been hurt
When we need strength
When we need courage
When we need wisdom
When we mess up
When we need peace
When our marriage is failing
When our kids are straying
When our health is declining
When we feel alone
When we feel overlooked
When we don’t understand

Friend, can I just encourage YOU today?  Can I speak into your life as if we were sitting across from each other at the local coffee shop and you have transparently just shared with me your greatest fears and your anxious thoughts?  As your sister in Christ, I feel compelled to be a voice in your life this very moment to dispel the lies that the enemy is using to hold your emotions captive.

No matter what you are thinking regarding your specific situation, know this;  As daughters of ALMIGHTY God, we have been divinely equipped for LIFE… in all of it’s messes, pain and uncertainties, struggles and adversities! Go back and read the above scripture! We aren’t just equipped to handle such things but armed with all that we need to respond with bold faith and unwavering tenacity.  Just maybe what you need is a change in perspective? If your faith is wavering, maybe you need to sit at the feet of Jesus and allow His wisdom and knowledge to be poured into you and the way you perceive your situation. So, When was the last time you have allowed God’s Word (His knowledge) to feed your spirit? When was the last time you hit the carpet in surrender and worship and turned your focus onto your Savior?

Sister, you and I have been given ALL that we need at ALL times to be brave and courageous through our knowledge of Him! This is NOT some pie in the sky positive way of thinking…this is Truth to live by. Truth from God Himself, straight from His heart to yours!

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.  Romans 15:4

The Word of God is what brings hope and encouragement to our wrestling souls. You may not FEEL like you are equipped but what does God say? What is the truth? More importantly, what will you choose to believe?

We CAN respond with wisdom, strength, endurance and God-confidence.  Not because we have those things in and of ourselves, but because the same power the raised Jesus from death lives on the inside of us!

We can embrace our now moments with hope and stubborn faith that allows us to shine and rise above our unwanted circumstances and bring glory and honor to God.

When you feel weak and the devil is screaming in your ear that you can’t make it, remember what God has spoken!  Replace lies with God’s Truths!

I am not sharing this with you as some wishful thinking, fluff  or “christianeese”…..but from a messy girl who has had to walk out these truths for herself to survive. AND I can honestly tell you that I am so very thankful for those desperate moments that beckoned my heart to hit the carpet time and time again.  Not for the circumstances themselves, of course, but for the desperation in my heart that landed me at the feet of Jesus.  There is nothing that will empower you more than the presence of God…nothing!  I still struggle and I still have my many anxious moments but I KNOW what to do.  I know who to turn to.  My flesh is not always quick to do it, I will admit, but I am learning and surrendering more often than not these days! Thank you, Jesus!  I remember the enemy’s accusations so clearly.  Time and time again I heard his lies and many times I allowed him to reek havoc on my mind and emotions.  All peace was gone and I was left struggling and feeling defeated until I chose to hit the carpet in trust and surrender to my Savior.  Those are such precious, holy moments! With my faith arising, I knew in my spirit that I could NOT give into the enemies accusations.  My God, my family and even my own life depended on it! Remember the promise that when we are weak, HE is strong?  Sister, that is truth!  You can do, accomplish, and walk through things you never imagined! God abundantly pours out His precise and sufficient grace for every situation you will ever encounter.  As I look back and reflect on my most difficult seasons I am amazed by my God.  He empowered me to do things I could NOT have done otherwise and He WILL do the same for you as YOU choose to trust Him!

So let me ask, what is it that you need this very moment? Lean upon Jesus, let Him speak to you and empower you through His Word…you will find what your beautiful soul needs in the very pages of His love letter written just for you! Read it, believe it and trust HIM knowing that you have been well equipped for “this” whatever your “this” is! You go girl!

Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.  Hebrews 13:20-21

Perfect Timing

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It was a dreaded and difficult day as I sat across the table from my oldest children at a local restaurant and shared the devastating news to them that would forever change our family dynamics.  I hated it.  It was the first conversation of several that I never wanted to have.  We do all we can to protect our kids from such things but sometimes our efforts are just not good enough.  I tried to come across strong and full of God confidence but inside I felt as though I had failed them as a mom and I was a broken mess.

Subsequently, just a few short days later, I found myself sitting across the table at our favorite coffee shop with my daughter and her husband as they excitedly announced that they were expecting their first sweet bundle of joy and for me, my second precious grand-baby.  Wow!  Talk about the gamut of emotions not only that I was experiencing but my daughter and our whole family, as well.  I was elated and filled with happy tears and yet the truth of our current circumstances quickly and unfairly tried to deplete and overshadow our sweet blessing.

Isn’t life like that?  One moment is painful, difficult and unwanted and the next is full of eager anticipation and downright excitement!  God created us as really amazing beings to be able to emotionally and physically handle the wide chasm of heart-changing, heart-breaking, and heart-warming circumstances that are inevitability, a part of our story.  How do we keep our footing?  How do we balance it all and keep moving forward?

In my mind, life certainly did not seem fair in those moments, especially for my daughter.  My heart broke as I tried to imagine what she was going through at the painful news of her mom and dad’s pending divorce intertwined with the thrilling news of expecting her first precious baby.  Loss and new life certainly makes for a bittersweet bag of emotions! Even though there was a side of this momma bear’s heart that roared and questioned God’s timing, there was an anchor of hope that held steady.  Yes, our family was broken and on the cusp of entering a season of questions, change, pain, and loss,  BUT GOD.  There was a fierce battle raging in my soul for my children, but God’s amazing grace came to my rescue and silenced the voice of the enemy.  He so sweetly reminded me that His timing is always perfect….even at that very moment when our world seemed to be crumbling before our very eyes. Even in the midst of our broken hearts.  He was giving us a precious blessing that ignited JOY and lit up the darkness which hovered heavily overhead.  Yes, this indeed was HIS perfect timing and HIS perfect grace cascading over us.  A precious and welcomed diversion from the hard and burdensome days that lie ahead.  My anxious thoughts were put to rest as I embraced God’s timing knowing that He divinely ordained ALL of what was happening.  His precise grace would cover and protect my daughter as he equipped her with inner strength and bravery to embrace this painful season of change AND precious season of pregnancy. New life and new beginnings were being birthed in more ways than I could comprehend.  My children WERE going to be okay and our family WOULD overcome this difficult season of divorce, in spite of what the enemy was whispering in my ear.

SO it is with you, sweet sister! Whatever losses or uninvited and unexpected predicament you find yourself in, God knows. AND not only is He aware but He is working His purposes in the midst of your messiness!  Yes, there may be loss and pain that you never saw coming but God has been preparing you for this day.  He is not at all surprised at what you are facing! If you will allow yourself, you will see HIM.  He WILL reveal Himself to YOU! He WILL bring blessings that will bring light to the darkness that surrounds you.  What may seem as horrible timing is God’s perfect timing.  You may very well have tears because of your pain but God will provide blessings that will bring you tears of JOY!  Embrace them! It really is possible to experience both! He wants you to know that HE is with you in the mess, in the loss, in the brokenness! You are so loved by Him! Your future is secure in Christ! YOU have this anchor of hope to keep you steady in the midst of the unwanted seasons. There is beauty arising from the ashes. Believe it, my friend!

Let me tell you the rest of the story….the beauty and blessing is that God gave our family this precious baby girl but there is a much bigger picture of grace in how God divinely orchestrated it all.   You see, my first birthday following my separation and pending divorce, was the very day she was born.  For most people who have gone through the arduous season of divorce, every first holiday following is painful, just as when someone you love has passed away.  However, God in His extravagant mercy gave me a precious gift and a MORE extraordinary reason to celebrate than I had to grieve.  AND, this was not just any birthday, it was my 50th birthday.  Coincidence? Absolutely not! God’s timing is perfect and significant, always! Now, year after year, on my birthday AND hers, I am humbly and delightedly reminded of God’s abundant faithfulness and amazing grace in the middle of our mess.  I have much to celebrate, year after year….because I will remember!  That is how our God works, that is who He is and this messy momma and blessed Mimi will forever be thankful!

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven, a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance... Ecclesiastes 3:1,4

Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5

The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.  Psalm 126:3

Death AND Goodness in the Land of the Living

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Psalm 27:13-14  I would have despaired unless I had believed I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  Wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.

What does despair really mean anyway?  The dictionary defines despair as losing all hope.  Have you ever been there? Does that describe how you are feeling today?  If so, I believe that it is by no accident that YOU are reading this right now! David declares in the above Psalm that he would have been in the same place you have found yourself in (without hope) had he not BELIEVED that he would see the goodness of the Lord this side of Heaven.  He made a choice to believe that He would see God’s goodness even though His circumstances did not change right away.   Believing meant he had to wait on God.  I know we do not like to wait. ever. But believing followed by waiting is key.  I believe that our God super-naturally and graciously imparts to us just what we need to push through and push forward when we choose to believe.

Believe + wait = strength + courage + hope + peace + trust + Joy

Though, at the moment, you may not be able to see anything “good” IN your circumstances, we know that God IS good and because God is good, His goodness CAN be experienced in the midst of our darkest moments, in the here and now, no matter what that “now” looks like!  As Christ followers, we believe to see not see to believe!  SO, look for Him, wait for Him….EXPECT to see His goodness revealed even BEFORE your mess changes.  I understand that some of your hopes and dreams may not be alive and well in the land of the living.  I get it! Actually, you may be having to grieve the death of some of them, BUT God!!  Friend, no matter how painful, hurtful,  devastating and unwanted your losses or you mess may be, GOD desires to pour out His goodness upon YOU, His beloved daughter!

Psalm 23 is often quoted at funerals and rightfully so,  but I have come to love this scripture in walking through my own valley of the shadow of death.   Death of my marriage,  death to my dreams and death to what I thought my life was supposed to look like.  Despair tried too many times to count to take up residence in my heart and mind.  Believing that God was with me and that His Word trumped my feelings and despairing thoughts helped me to rise up from the ashes in the valley and keep walking through the darkness…  Sometimes, actually many times,  it took the prayers and encouragement of my faithful friends and church family upholding me and pouring God’s love into my broken heart.  That, my friend was part of God’s goodness that I was blessed to experience.  His goodness is there all the time, we just have to have eyes open to see it!

What about you?  What hopes and dreams have you had to grieve over?  While the enemy roars defeating accusations to your vulnerable self,  God’s Word for you declares that there is reason to HOPE in this valley of death.  HE is our shepherd, HE walks with us in the valley and He comforts us.  He brings us through to bring us out and when we come out we are never the same.  As God’s chosen daughters, His invitation to walk us THROUGH brings transformation and treasures we take with us as He leads us OUT.

Psalm 31:19  says “Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You and worked for those who take refuge in You, in the sight of the children of mankind!” I want to draw your attention to the word ABUNDANT.  You could easily exchange that word for plentiful, liberal, bountiful,  or even galore.  Let me ask you, do you fear God?  Are you His child? Do you take refuge in Him? Then this promise is for YOU! God has an abundance of  Goodness galore…that is stored up just for you! Stored up means it is ongoing, it will never run out! It is there when you need it! OF course, the devil would like to shout to you otherwise and cause you to lose all hope and stay and live in his prison of despair.  Don’t do it! Believe God’s Truth and live in freedom that keeps you free no matter what you are facing! HE is with you my friend, and HE will not fail you, no, not ever! EXPECT to see God’s goodness galore, WAIT for it. Be strong, be courageous, TAKE refuge in GOD and HE will bring you through this valley with goodness and mercy as your faithful companions.  Rise up dear sister, and believe that you WILL see God’s goodness in your midst! There are many rising with you!